1. Field of Invention
This invention relates generally to cutting scissors, and more particularly to a scissors having a spring-action grip which when grasped by the hand of a user and squeezed then causes the normally-open blades of the scissors to close to effect a cutting action.
1. Status of Prior Art
A scissors is a cutting implement composed of two blades joined by a swivel pin that allows the cutting edges of the blades which face each other to open and close to effect a cutting action. Thus in cutting a sheet of cloth or paper, the user of the scissors closes the blades to cut an area of the sheet, and then opens the blades so that he or she can advance the scissors to a succeeding area of the sheet to be cut. It is essential therefore that the scissors include means to open and close the cooperating blades. Hereinafter the user will be referred to as "he" but it is to be understood that the user can also be a "she".
In a conventional scissors, each blade is provided with a handle section that extends beyond the swivel pin and terminates in a loop. The arrangement is such that when the scissors are in a closed state, the loop of one handle section is directly above the loop of the other handle section, the upper loop being smaller than the lower loop. To operate a conventional scissors, the user inserts the thumb of his hand into the upper handle loop and inserts two adjacent fingers into the larger lower handle loop, the index finger being curled about the lower loop handle section. Hence a conventional scissors is gripped only by the fingers of the user's hand, the fingers being manipulated to open and close the scissors.
The relationship between the fingers of a user's hand and the loop handles of a conventional scissors usually satisfies ergonomics or human engineering criteria, making it possible for a typical user to efficiently operate the scissors. But these conditions prevail only when the user's hand has strong fingers devoid of any impairment or disability.
However there are many individuals who suffer from arthritis, Parkinson's disease and various neurological finger-disabling disorders which make it difficult or painful to manipulate the fingers of a hand to operate a standard scissors having loop-type handles. And even if an individual is not suffering from a disorder which impairs his ability to manipulate the fingers of his hand, because of advanced age or other debilitating factors, the individual may be in a weakened condition and therefore finds it difficult to finger-operate a conventional scissors.
An individual must have sufficient strength in his fingers not only to close the blades of a conventional scissors to effect a cutting action, but also to open the blades. When the scissors is in a closed state, the blades are then in frictional engagement with each other, and it takes some measure of finger effort to overcome this friction to open the blades.
While the amount of effort required to operate a conventional scissors presents no problem to a user who is in his or her prime, it may present a problem to an older person, in a weakened condition especially since the position of the loop handles relative to that of the swivel pin which is the pivot point of the blades in a conventional scissors is such as to afford a low degree of leverage and mechanical advantage.